Discovering India obviously involves exploring its wonderful cuisine. It’s one of the richest (not just in fat!), one of the most fragrant, and one of the most subtle in the world.

Depending on the region where they live, their religion, and their caste, Indians eat different things than their neighbors.

There are two main types of cuisine.

– Vegetarian cuisine , extraordinarily varied, would convert the most fundamentalist of carnivores. It can be very strict ( pure veg’ ), that is to say without meat or fish, without eggs, without cheese, and sometimes even without onion or garlic. In fact, it is theoretically forbidden to Hindus – and even more so to Brahmins – any food growing underground (such as tubers), considered impure because it risks killing worms, insects, etc. This strict vegetarianism is also that of the Jains and certain worshippers of Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu.

Vegetarianism is not only a religious matter. Meat remains an expensive product.

 Almost no pork (nearly 200 million Muslims in India) or beef, sacred cow oblige, although the consumption of red meat (buffalo, increasingly) is increasing.

While southern Indian cuisine is essentially vegetarian (rice, vegetables and spicy sauces), northern cuisine is more readily carnivorous (meats cooked in the tandoor or Mughla style , therefore of Persian or Mughal origin), and rice is often replaced by an incredible variety of wheat-based breads. That said, the specialties of the North and South can be found practically throughout the country!

Indian staples and specialties

– Dal (or dhal): the staple dish throughout the country, not to say the poor man’s dish. Prepared with lentils.

Get cooking to make a tasty daal makhani with our recipe .

– Curry: A mixture of spices initially reduced to powder, and by extension, it has become the name of a sauce and a dish that can be prepared with all kinds of food (chicken, mutton, fish, but also vegetables, etc.)

– Biryani and pulao: pilaf rice dishes flavored with saffron and cooked with or without meat, in a vegetarian version or with eggs. Will delight lovers of low-spice, inexpensive and nutritious dishes.

– Tandooris: pieces of meat or fish marinated in spiced and chili-flavored yogurt, and cooked in the tandoor , a clay or metal oven-jar. The term applies to all foods cooked in this way.

– Kebabs and kofta: the first is a skewer of minced and grilled meat while the second consists of meatballs or vegetables, chopped and cooked in a spicy yogurt sauce,

– Korma: a sauce made from yogurt, cashew nuts, almonds, various seeds…

– Paneer: fresh cheese, a bit like English cottage cheese or Italian ricotta, widely used in vegetarian cuisine.

Breads from North India

Extraordinarily varied! Eat them hot; they’re much better, and they’re a great replacement for cutlery. One thing they have in common: they’re all rounded and rather flat.

– Roti and chapati: wholemeal flour pancakes mixed with water and not raised. Cooked in the oven ( tandoor ) for the first and on a cast iron plate ( tawa ) for the second. These are the most common breads.

– Naan: white flour pancakes with leaven bound with milk, traditionally cooked on the inside wall of a tandoor oven .